https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/12/antonio-conte-emelano-chelsea-tough-season

Quote

“To lose Michael, it was a big loss for us, yes,” said the Italian, whose team travel to Newcastle on Sunday with only slim hopes of securing a top?four finish. “I think so, I think so. Also because Michael did a great job for this club for many years. Last season he helped me a lot during the season. This season, until he left, he helped me a lot. I remember very well he left just after the Manchester United game … For me, for sure, it was a big loss in November.”

This is brilliant, there's quite a lot of fans around who trust every word Conte says but also thought Emenalo was the anti christ, they will probably self combust reading this 

Edited May 14, 20188 yr by Argo

Haha...mnlo was Satan himself according to many on the shed end. Impossible that his departure was the cause! 

 

 

I wonder when Antonio Conte will point to Antonio Conte as a key factor in our tough season.

9 minutes ago, Davey Baby said:

I wonder when Antonio Conte will point to Antonio Conte as a key factor in our tough season.

Never,conte walks on water didn't you know that

Of course you blame everything or everyone apart from yourself 

Still don’t get why the club allowed Elemano to leave halfway through the season with pretty much 1/2 months notice. Bonkers to have a key person leave so suddenly. 

29 minutes ago, JM7 said:

Still don’t get why the club allowed Elemano to leave halfway through the season with pretty much 1/2 months notice. Bonkers to have a key person leave so suddenly. 

Seems the club is a chaotic shambles!!

Antonio conte blames Chelseas poor season on doctor who being a woman. 

Antonio conte blames Chelseas poor season on pluto no longer being classed as a planet. 

Antonio conte blames Chelseas poor season on Prince Harry getting engaged to Meghan Markle.

Antonio conte blames Chelseas poor season on poor grape harvest in France. 

Feel free to add your own. 

1 hour ago, JM7 said:

Still don’t get why the club allowed Elemano to leave halfway through the season with pretty much 1/2 months notice. Bonkers to have a key person leave so suddenly. 

Well he had wanted to leave long before Conte was even considered a Chelsea manager. He gave a lot to club and like you say was a key person so can see your point. I actually didn't mind him leaving as I felt he was unfairly used as a cheap scapegoat by many fans (at least 75% on here). To blame him for every single bad turn of event in the club became the default reaction and I'm happy he's away from such unfair vilification.

This was the same emenalo who apparently was the go between for conte and marina haha. No wonder Conte wished he had stayed lol

Fantastic post this which should make for some interesting comments.

Emanalo certainly seemed to divide opinion with the fans. What is undeniable is that he held a very senior position during a period of very significant success for the club.

He certainly took the blame from the fans in recent times for missed transfer targets however he should be proud of a lot of the transfers he was involved in (Kante/Salah/De Bruyne/Lukaku/Hazard for example).

His leaving interview was fantastic from the website and I would recommend everyone have a read. It certainly gives an insight that this guy was a huge part of how the club was run.

http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2017/11/chelsea-tv-exclusive--emenalo-on-standing-down.html

Back to the original post, I think Conte is right to point to losing Emanalo as a big moment in the season. For sure there are other factors too which are undeniable but you can't help but get the impression he provided a lot of solidity within the club.

I'm surprised to see he hasn't been replaced yet, but I do sense big changes to our structure over the summer so it remains to be seen.

 

Edited May 14, 20188 yr by Nickcook26

Cant say I was an Emenalo fan, (at a time) I did think he made bad transfers and maybe strained relations with certain managers.  But in hindsight maybe he was actually doing a good job.  He did have some good signings obviously.  (If he was in charge of it, who knows).  Certainly done better than Martina.  Conte may have a point.  But even when Emenalo was there, Conte was jibing.

I thought he hated Emenalo, desperate time calls for desperpate measures, I guess. Can we get Lampard back for Emenalo's role please?

I’m starting to wonder if his full name is Antonio I’m never at fault Conte.

Doesn't he say 'we' suffered and 'we' didn't play well? Who does everyone think he means when he says 'we'?

5 hours ago, Bobbywoodhogan said:

I’m starting to wonder if his full name is Antonio I’m never at fault Conte.

He’d fit in up there in scouseland. 

Just waiting for the Super Sun Exclusive from Conte citing the departure of Jose Mourinho as a major factor in Chelsea's poor season.

On 14/05/2018 at 13:38, dkw said:

Antonio conte blames Chelseas poor season on doctor who being a woman. 

Antonio conte blames Chelseas poor season on pluto no longer being classed as a planet. 

Antonio conte blames Chelseas poor season on Prince Harry getting engaged to Meghan Markle.

Antonio conte blames Chelseas poor season on poor grape harvest in France. 

Feel free to add your own. 

I'm pretty sure I heard Trump blaming it on Hillary Clinton. Although I think he got confused when he heard we played like a total shower against Newcastle ;)

Where exactly is the bit where Conte blames the 'bad' season on Emenalo's leaving? I must be blind because so many people think that's what he said.

By the way, the headline in the Standard was "Antonio Conte thinks Michael Emenalo exit was a big loss for Chelsea", which is a bit more accurate.

I don't think Abramovich will ever want him to leave, he probably left because he was tired of the fans blaming him for things he know nothing about.

Still don’t get why the club allowed Elemano to leave halfway through the season with pretty much 1/2 months notice. Bonkers to have a key person leave so suddenly.